Day 19 - Sneezing attack

Dollar Lake

almost Twin Lakes to Dollar Lake 10242ft  elevation. 

Today we traveled: 9.85miles. 1965ft elevation gain 2877ft elevation loss. 

JMT mile marker: 173mile.

We are siting at our camp by the lake waiting on our food to cook and hoping it will be before the next rain start. We got to camp just in time to set tent and get into it. It was around 3:30pm and it started hailing! Thunder and lightning soon to follow. Boy was that loud and scary. 

Drying our clothes between rain showers

Our tent 

The day started pretty warm - I drank coffee in my sandals in the sun and did a bit of laundry - just my handkerchief and my “pee rag” as Bob calls it. The shortage of TP means I can’t blow my nose into a tissue so the bandana / handkerchief comes handy. I’m turning wild. 

We started hiking around 9pm - late for us but the weather was so nice we took our time. 

We got a good night sleep even tho my mattress is leaking yet again (for the third time!!) and I thought I was good and healthy but shortly after we started hiking, I start sneezing - maybe 60 times in a row, my eyes were watery and my nose running. I was not having fun. Starting to think maybe it’s an allergic reaction to some plants or something and I took antihistamine from the first aid kit. That thing, the kit, really been working hard for us. I want to say that helped and I was fine but that wouldn’t be truth. I still felt like shit and was now sneezing, having running nose and also got an itch in both my nose and my throat, lucky me. We stoped by the suspended bridge - was pretty cool bridge and ate breakfast. In the shade, rested, I felt better.

That was the end of the downhill from Pinchot, and now we start the climb to Glenn Pass. The hike was an up and down type of trail and we were now in the shade provided by the clouds, and on a good pace, even passing a few backpackers. Made me think how well we would be doing if we weren’t sick. The cloud cover turned into light rain, and the sky turned dark. It was time to find our camp for the night. Yifat 

Overall it was a very pretty day I sneezed my way thru

Lots of waterfalls and clear creeks

The colors on the mountains were mesmerizing  

Very pretty 

Day 18 - Pinchot Pass

 Upper Basin to almost Twin Lakes 11122ft elevation. 

We passed the Pinchot Pass at 12050ft 

Today we traveled: 11miles. 2185ft elevation gain 2543ft elevation loss. 

JMT mile marker: 163mile.

We got up not feeling 100% but that didn’t stop us admiring the view. It was fantastic. The day started with an easy downhill path. 

Just before we were ready for it the trail turned into a steep uphill and soon we were huffing and puffing. We stoped after one mile and had breakfast. The first breakfast we tried was one of our favorite: Chia pudding. Well this one was a disaster. Half too watery and the other half dry. Even after mixing it, it still tasted weird. It was with peanut butter power and not the usual coconut milk powder.  I hate to say it but we dug a hole and buried it. The next meal we tried was our lunch: Rice with Tofu. That one was tasting better but it was too much food for me and I made myself eat 3/4 of it before getting rid of it. 

I didn’t have an appetite or energy to eat. 

Our next goal was to climb to the top of Pinchot Pass 12050ft and 3mile from where we were. Sounds easy enough. The trail was pretty and we  passed a few alpine lakes but never got much elevation. It was concerning. When are we going to start the climb?! Well, finally it started to gain elevation and quickly. Switchbacks, stairs, rocks scrambling, you name it. Pinchot Pass was hell. 

I was suffering big time. My throat was bugging me and I must’ve blown my nose 100 times. 

Like all good things, even bad things got an end and we found ourselves sitting at the top soon enough. We were alone at the pass and took our time admiring the view and enjoying being done with the climb. Close to the top was a blue lake that was surrounded by a brownish mountain, the sand and rock spilling into the water making it look like a multicolor picture, it looked like a peacock feather.  It was really pretty. I don’t think the pictures will show much. Must see it in person. Lucky us! 

Admiring the view halfway up

Peacock feather lake

On the way down, I was walking behind Bob, all of a sudden, a Pika runs out from the rocks, crosses the patch and hit Bob ankle! It bounce off and runs away. What a stupid animal. Cute as hell but men, stupid. I was laughing so hard. 

We had to go farther than we wanted in search for water. Tonight I was exhausted. We made shelter, ate rice and dall, which was excellent, took two Advil and was in the tent laying down by 5:30 PM. 

Rice and Dall

Today’s song stuck in my head: “Always look on the bright side of life” from the Monty Python movie life of Brian. If I need to be sick, at lease the view is incredible. I hope tomorrow I’m better. Yifat.  

Day 18 Aug 21 Pinchot

 Always look on the bright side of life Monty python, contribution from YC. She's feeling better and singing. I pitch in a little when the song switches to the bright side of death. 

On the bright side

Camp previous night

 Climbing pinchot. Pinchot was exhausting, more so than the previous pass, Mather. Probably because it was the second 12,000 foot Pass in as many days. 

The other side

Earlier on this trip I would spend time adjusting the pack tracking the miles, the pace and estimating ETA's. That's all gone away to just hiking and reaching the next objective. BTW there are 5 pack adjustments you can make with straps. 

Sunset

Flyover https://photos.app.goo.gl/wV2kKCVXkNPF8AER6

Bob

Day 17 Aug 20th The Mother

Climbed Mather, what a mother! It included the Golden Staircase. I couldn't figure out where we were going on the climb because all we saw were high mountains. 

Getting ready for the day, this is how YC approaches morning coffee. Drinking first cup while working on second. Me, I want to go back to bed

Before the trail becomes a moonscape

As the final approach came into view I questioned Solomon's ( the guy who scouted most of the JMT) definition of a pass. We were definitely climbing a mountain. Feels like Middle Fingers by Missio.

View STRAIGHT UP on the Mother

Dynamite blast marks, we become very familiar with them over the next week as we contemplate how the hell these pass trails were built

YC isn't feeling good, got my cold. She's tougher than me and kept the party going. I'm feeling better, I weirdly enjoyed climbing up the pass. It seemed a battle ....ok another switch back, fine let's do another switch back. 

The climb

More climbing

The finish

We stopped the first place we could for camp on the other side of Mather. Some lake on a barren plane. Rob our unofficial hiking buddy(an Englishman living in Michigan) showed up at the same Lake for camp. We gave him patches for his inflatable sleeping pad. It was payback for the Advil he gave us a few days ago. We went for a swim, but really just wanted to get to sleep.  

                             Anytime now

                               A technique to fake out your body that the water isn't really heart stopping cold

Western Eupatorium

Flyover https://photos.app.goo.gl/GBqgeJV5AfEYYxp77

Bob

Day 17 - Mather Pass

Deer Meadow to Upper Basin 11500ft elevation. 

We passed the Golden staircase and Mather Pass today at 12100ft. 

Today we traveled: 9miles. 3451ft elevation gain 837ft elevation loss. 

JMT mile marker: 152.5mile.

Got up after a restful night. We had the wind/rain fly off and were able to see the stars. We started the day thinking we will hike up the Golden Staircase and camp by upper Palisades lake, about 5.5miles and 2000ft elevation. Hearing that Mather Pass was a hard pass we didn’t want to over do it. Still wanting to see how Bob felt. 

The start was slow. This part was steep with lots of switchbacks that you never knew how and where you were going up or what was waiting around the corner. It was impressive how they build it - a little mix of crazy and impressive.  

Where are we going next?

When we reach the lower lake we took our break, eating and filling up on water. Bob seemed to be doing well.

Resting after climbing up the Golden Staircase

It was too early to camp, just before 11am and the we had more energy to burn. We decided to go for it and climb up another 1500ft and get on the other side of Mather Pass. 

We didn’t go fast, it was hot and we started getting into high 10,000ft and 11,000ft which meant we had less air with each breath. We kept a steady pace, not even sure what direction the pass went, it was steep and it looked like there was no way out of this canyon. We just kept going. 

We started seeing hikers with day packs -  I asked where they came from? They were doing the JMT supported by mules!! 31 day going south to north. I wonder how much that cost. They said the food was so so but this was the only way they could hike something like this. It was impressive trip. After we part way their mule train arrived. They always amazed me. Pretty animals. It’s impressive trail to walk on and it’s impressive they can get horses and mules to walk some of these trails. 

The Mules 

When it’s too steep they lead them vs. riding them

Soon we were at the top and one more pass was behind us. 

Almost at the top 

Mather Pass

We started going down to a different view - more desolate, Mars like. We camped by a small lake and went for a cold swim. Rob caught up to us and camped near by. We had found yet another hole in my mattress and fixed it. Rob had the same issue and we shared our emergency kit so he could fix his. 

We camped by this lake 

A different planet 

It was pretty desolate but the ground was full with small plants, flowers and creatures: tiny frogs, grasshoppers, bugs, crawlers and lots of marmots. We were still high enough that the night was cold and we put our tent fly on to keep us warm. I wasn’t feeling 100% that night. I was tired and had the suspicion I might gotten Bob’s cold. Ugh. Yifat. 

Day 16 - Fresh start

Grouse Meadows

 Big Pete Meadow to Deer Meadow 8200ft elevation. 

Today we traveled: 9.5miles. 1053ft elevation gain 1490ft elevation loss. 

JMT mile marker: 143mile.

Today we woke up fresh after a good night sleep. Around 5am I heard noise and I looked from the tent and it was a family of deer grazing just outside the tent. I’m not sure who was more surprised, them or me but we had a good staring contest. After coffee we packed and got on the trail. It was an easy clear path and slightly downhill - we were cruising. 

We stopped at the ranger station and consulted with them about Bob’s situation and if we should ditch the trail where and how to do it. The guy we talked to suggested we take an easy day or two to recover, work on hydration, food, salt and sugar and see how we feel. Bob felt so much better that we decided that was a good plan. 

The amount of miles we put our body thru is taking a toll and this made sense to us. We agree to take it easy for the next two days and see how we feel. 

We continued that easy path and stopped for breakfast at grouse meadows. It’s only fitting that we saw a grouse sitting on a big boulder right there.

Just before we packed out Rob, a fellow backpacker that we met at VVR, join us and we chitchat about what we’ve been up to since we last saw each other. He was able to give us some Advil and we were very happy about that. 

We felt good and ended walking a little more that day. 

We camped next to a a little creek and were able to wash up and do some laundry.  Being in lower altitude helped out and the mood was high. Bob was feeling better. Tomorrow we are planning to tackle the Golden Staircase. Another JMT infamous obstacle. Good night, Yifat 

Day 16 deer meadows

 I can breathe all night feel better and decide to continue. We put Bishop pass turn off in rear mirror and push on. 

Feeling good

Feels like Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath. We saw a sooty grouse in grouse meadows had breakfast granola. 

                                 Grouse hanging out

The first half of the day was some of the easiest hiking yet- just what I needed ...for 2nd half of day hard climbing Mather Pass-just the beginning. We saw bear claw marks on trees. 

Snacker?

Or crazed man-eater?

They do it to get at the sap(that's one theory, the other theory is that they are crazed man-eaters). We took a dip in a creek at camp after 9 miles.

Camp

Flyover https://photos.app.goo.gl/4KLPaSPvQtQTUnk98

Bob

Day 15 - Going to see Muir’s hut

Starry Night

Wanda Lake to Big Pete Meadow 9271ft elevation. 

We summit Muir Pass 11975ft  

Today we traveled: 8.5miles. 600ft elevation gain 2000ft elevation loss. 

JMT mile marker: 134mile.

Tired, sick and happy at 11850ft high

Last night at Wanda lake was windy. We were warm in the tent in our sleeping bags but the wind and the elevation made it a sleepless night. Around midnight Bob decided he is going to take pictures of the stars and Milky Way. I’m not sure how good the pictures are but the sky was insane. With so many stars it was bright out. It’s one of the best things about camping, the night sky. 

We continued to toss and turn getting an hour of sleep here and there. 

In the morning, with it being windy and cold we decided to postpone coffee and breakfast till we got to a better and less windy place. We packed out and hiked with our rain gear as wind shield. After about a mile or so the weather improved and we were able to take a break and make coffee. 

We climbed for about a mile and boy was that a struggle. Bob wasn’t feeling well and we realized hiking above 11,500ft is hard. We were barely going and it felt like we tried running up hill. It’s just makes you sluggish and exhausted. We could have hiked that mile 3 times fasted at 9000ft let alone at sea level.  The view made up for all that work. It was spectacular ! Everywhere you looked was just wow. I have no words.  Reaching to Muir pass just shy of 12000ft and seeing the shelter hut was special.  It was one thing reading about it but being there felt like part of a special club we now belong to. 

Bob wasn’t feeling any better, in fact he was getting worse. Down we went. It was hard to breathe without being stuffed up and he was blowing his nose every third step. We saw our first Pika next but it was too fast to take a photo. The climb down was as beautiful as the last two days. Lake after lake of clear water, blue as can be and mountains around it. 

The sun was beating us down and most of the day was above the tree line. Once we dropped in elevation we stopped for lunch at the first sight of trees and shade. It was next to Star Lake and ate Super Ramen. After hiking for about 8.5 intense miles Bob still feeling exhausted we decide to make camp and rest up. 

Our options are to hike out to a town and get Bob better before returning to the trail OR keep going at a slower pace hoping he can recover. It’s scary being so remote that even if we want to get off trail we still need to hike out about 2 days and it will be a moderate to difficult hike. 

Tomorrow we will hike to the ranger station and consult with them. See what they think. 

Bishop is the closest town and we could rest up there. Yifat